Coastguard Auckland and Westpac Rescue Helicopter support injured boatie

Ponui Island/Chamberlins Island, 12 January 2024 - Coastguard Auckland volunteers, the Coastguard Operations Centre and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter have collaborated this afternoon on the retrieval of an injured boatie at Ponui Island/Chamberlins Island.

Just after 1430, Coastguard received reports of an injured woman on a boat after it had hit a wave. Coastguard Auckland volunteers arrived on scene shortly after, with an on-board medic assessing the patient and administering pain relief.

The patient was then transferred at Third Bay from the Trillian Trust Rescue vessel to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and flown to hospital.

“It was great working with our colleagues at Westpac Rescue Helicopter and putting all of our combined training into practice to support this patient. We also want to thank the farmers on Ponui Island who came to offer assistance - providing an ATV to take the patient up a steep hill to the helicopter which meant she didn't need to be winched up from the beach or carried up a steep hill on a stretcher,” said Simon Marshall, Coastguard Auckland Skipper.

ENDS

Ben Parsons
Coastguard New Zealand Senior Communications Advisor
[email protected]